Canaveral National Sea Shore / Merritt Island / Lone Cabbage Airboat Rides

     When I left Savannah, it was late in the afternoon.  As soon as I crossed the line between Georgia and Florida, I saw a WalMart Super Center - I stopped for the night.  
     When I parked, there was one other RV, from Colorado, in the parking lot.  I fixed my dinner and cleaned up the kitchen.  Then I made a list of groceries that I needed and headed inside.  When I back came out, a little over an hour later, there were many RVs in the lot.
     I put the groceries away and then walked around looking at the license tags and counting - there were a total of 47 RVs in the lot.  There was 1 each from California (mine), Colorado, and Alaska.  The remainder were all from somewhere in Canada:  Ontario, Quebec, Toronto, NW Territory, etc.  The Snowbirds had arrived.

     The next day, I made my way south to another National Park:  Canaveral National Seashore (CNS).  According to the National Park System Map the CNS headquarters are located at 308 Julia Street in Titusville FL.
     However, when I got there I determined that the location is not within the boundaries of the park.  Instead, it is a business office.  They do not have stamps, brochures, maps, souvenirs, or information.  The receptionist seemed to be uncertain how to answer any of my questions, but she was able to provide directions to a preserve entrance.  

     If I wanted to see the entire Sea Shore I would have had to enter from New Smyrna Beach which meant backtracking, 29 miles, almost to Daytona Beach.  But there is access from Titusville. So, to get to the preserve, I had to first cross the intracoastal waterway and access Merritt Island. 


National Wildlife Refuge Center:

     As a result, I got to see something I would not have seen had I entered from the north end.  I probably would not have known it was there.  About 4 miles east of Titusville, one encounters the National Wildlife Refuge Center.

     The portion of the island that the public can access is relatively small in comparison to the size of the preserve.  In the grasses at the top of the picture there were many varieties of water birds.  Something, probably an Alligator, had spooked them because they had just taken flight.  Some can still be seen in the sky on the left. 

     The park service has built about a mile of boardwalk through the wilderness.  The vegetation species are labeled to allow enhancement of visitors' experiences.

     The proximity to the coast keeps the temperature mild.  Spanish Moss is dripping from the trees.

     Visitors are warned before entering the Boardwalk that they might encounter Alligators.  Signs are posted frequently to remind visitors that these are wild animals.

     This is a grass marsh (according to the posted sign) that is home to almost 1,000 different species of animals - they must be hiding.








Canaveral National Sea Shore:

     After leaving the Wildlife Refuge, I continued on a few miles to the Sea Shore - Playalinda Beach.  Between the road and the beach there is a large berm that appears to be man-made.  The berms have vegetation to keep the surf from washing them away.

     There are no picnic areas, food stands, showers, or drinking water.  However, there are public restrooms.  Only between May 30 and September 1 are Lifeguards on duty - so while I was there the beaches were relatively vacant.  There are stairs leading up the berms from the parking lots and then back down to to beach.

     Driving south and then west I could see the Kennedy Space Center in the distance.  Just to the left of the center of this picture one can see the tower beyond the intracoastal waterway.

     Another view of the Kennedy Space Center (the small grey box at the center).

     Normally I take a picture of the official sign as I enter a park.  However, since I entered from the center of the island, rather than at New Smyrna, I only saw a sign as I was leaving the park...






Melbourne Florida:
     One of the reasons for my trip south, besides my goal to see all of the US National Parks, was to see a High School friend that I had not seen since 1965, Linda (nee Beeler) McDaniel.  She and her husband Woody McDaniel had moved to Florida in the early 90's.
     They have a lovely home adjacent to a pond with a resident Alligator.  Even though we had not seen each other in so many years, we were still the same people.  We had changed in looks only.  We spent hours catching up on our lives and just visiting.  Linda suggested several activities that we could do while I was there.  We could have visited the Kennedy Space Center but one of suggestions was an airboat ride.  Since I had decided to only stay a couple of days, I opted for the airboat ride and clicked another one off of "my bucket list."  I can do the Kennedy Space Center next time.

     The Lone Cabbage Airboat Rides is just a few minutes from their home.  That is my head in the alligator's mouth. 

     Linda put her head in the alligator's mouth too.

     That is us, in the front seat (the driver took the picture).  Our ride was one hour long.

     Because of recent rains storms, the water was higher than usual.  We looked all over for alligators but did not see any.

     We saw a lot of trees and vegetation though.

     We went across tall grasses that appeared to be islands but weren't.

     When our hour was almost done, we made our way back into the dock at the Lone Cabbage.








     When I left Linda and Woody's house I had planned on stopping in Orlando to visit Disney World, The Epcot Center, and anything else that struck me.  But, I had already been gone from home for over two months and was getting homesick.  So, I headed for home.  
     I stopped in Beebe, Arkansas to visit a long time friend, Mary Morris.  
     And, because I absolutely had to, I stopped in Garland Texas to see my grand-children.  Eleven days after leaving Florida, I was finally home.